Photo by Amy Kristin Photography
RAYMIE!
We are excited to Introduce Raymie, ARRI’s 2025 Mascot.
Let’s all give Raymie a warm ARRI welcome as the new face of our shelter!
The holidays with Raymie
Raymie is a stunning 2-year-old black lab with mesmerizing eyes. He likes everyone he meets!
His owner Shel says meeting Raymie was, “just plain love at first sight”.
Two years ago, without the prospect of a dog in mind, Shel was enjoying a day with family when he met, as he describes, “the most beautiful jet-black puppy I had ever seen. A lab of some kind, but small, around 35 pounds, and with small feet. That meant he probably wouldn’t be a big dog. The perfect size for spending time on a boat.”
A neighbor was fostering this polite puppy who gracefully greeted everyone and loved to play. This brilliant six-month-old puppy who traveled from Abilene, Texas was in need of a permanent home.
His now-owner describes that a beautiful backyard with a fence was just waiting for a dog looking for a forever home. Raymie was welcomed into his new home on January 31, 2023, the same day as Shel’s wife’s third anniversary of her passing. Shel told us, “It was meant to be”!
“People say that you don’t find your dog. Your dog finds you. I think that’s what happened in this case.”,
Photos by Amy Kristin Photography
How he got his name:
Above Photos by Amy Kristin Photography
From Reagan to Ronnie to Ray, the name stuck for a few days in honor of his new owner’s grandfather and Uncle Ray. His family reminisced about their childhood, spending long weekends in the house. Their Uncle Ray, a teenager at the time, was affectionately called “Raymie” by their grandmother, who was always calling out his name. That’s how Reagan became Raymie. The name had echoed through those halls before, in the home built by the owner’s grandparents in the 1940s.
“Raymie is a magnificent dog. He is blisteringly fast when he runs on the beach, and he enjoys every day!”
Raymie at Bark on the Beach 2024
We can’t wait for all the adventure we will go on with Raymie this year! Let’s have a PAW-tastic year!
